The 10 Most Important First Time Disney Cruise Tips

Embarking on your first Disney Cruise? Here are our BEST Disney Cruise Tips for Total Beginners. Much like any Disney Vacation, the more you know before you go, the better. This list will help you navigate dining, boarding, activities, money, ports, and more. Here are some Disney Cruise tips to know before you go!

Disney Cruises have become some of our favorite types of vacations. Every Disney cruise we’ve taken has been nothing short of magical! But there is a bit of a learning curve for first time Disney cruisers, especially if you’ve never cruised at all before this. And if you’re a seasoned Disney Crusier of the original ships ( Wonder, Magic, Dream and Fantasy), then the newer Disney ships may have you reeling. As such, we’re sharing some of our favorite tips for a Disney Cruise in this post.

We have been lucky enough to have sailed on all the first Disney Cruise ships so farSo we hope this post helps you feel more prepared for your next Disney cruise. Here are a few basic Disney Cruise Line tips to help you navigate the waters of being prepared for your cruise!

Know what to Pack for your First Disney Cruise

Knowing what to pack for a Disney Cruise may seem a little overwhelming, but we’ve got you covered! Many of the items on this list are things you’d usually pack, but with consideration for cruise staterooms and events. You’ll also want to make sure you pack a few door magnets to decorate your stateroom door!If you’re sailing somewhere less traditional than a Caribbean Cruise, you can also find other packing lists for Alaska and cold weather destinations on the packing list page.

Join your Cruise Facebook Group

Even if you’re not a Facebook person, hear me out. Cruise Facebook Groups can be incredibly helpful when planning your cruise. And if you’re a social person, it can be a great opportunity to meet some of your fellow cruisers beforehand. These groups are full of information from cruisers who have done this same itinerary, those who have been able to book excursions before you based on their Castaway Club status and Fish Extender Groups.

Plan to arrive at least a day before your cruise

Unless you live near port, there is absolutely no reason not to arrive a day before your cruise leaves. Though this does create an additional expense, I cannot stress how important this fact is. When we stayed at the Hyatt Hotel at in the Orlando Airport, it was easy to arrange the Disney Cruise Shuttle to our port the next morning, and it made the whole process easier. Not to mention it gave us peace of mind, knowing that all we had to do was take our bags downstairs to the cruise bus in the morning. No tsa line holdups, no flight delays, no uber or car crisis, nothing.

With today’s flight schedules constantly changing and being cancelled, you do not want to take the risk that you’ll miss your cruise due to circumstances outside of your control. The cruise will not wait for you if you miss it. There is an all-aboard time for every single itinerary and all guests must be on by that time or they will be denied boarding. If your sailig an International Disney Cruise you should really plan to be there even earlier, with 2-3 days usually being an adequate cushion.

Prepare for Embarkation Day

Embarkation Day is an exciting day! But if it’s your first Disney Cruise, it can definitely be a bit overwhelming. You can see this video on our channel for what to expect on Embarkation Day. You’ll want to make sure you have a day bag with everything you’ll need for the first few hours onboard, as all packed luggage won’t arrive until 4 or 5pm.  Have a plan with what you want to do once onboard, like getting lunch, touring the ship or hitting the pool. 

Bring a Refillable Water Bottle

You can bring your own water onboard a Disney Cruise. Or you can purchase water while on the ship. But the free water from the drink stations is actually really good. And I am a complete water snob, no shame. Though Disney does offer disposable cups at the drink stations, they are very small and, in my opinion, can be a bit wasteful. 

Bringing a refillable water bottle will cut down on your trips to the drink station and save you money on bottled water. Sometimes there are signs stating that you cannot use refillable bottle at the drink stations. But that’s ok because we just take a fresh disposable cup and use that to refill our bottle. Less waste and more water, just with a different method fo filling the water bottle.

Get to know the Layout of the Ship

You will likely be walking a lot on your cruise. So, it’s important to know where things are! There are many ways you can learn the layout of the ship. One of our favorite ways to learn the ship layout is by playing the games onboard. While The Disney Wonder and Magic are small enough to learn in a few hours. The larger ships have games bring you everywhere. Try playing the Midship Detective Agency onboard the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy or Uncharted Adventure on the Disney Wish, Treasure and Destiny. These games takes you all over the ship and you’ll be learning the layout in no time.

Tours of the ship are also available in the onboard fun section of the DCL Navigator App, so be on the lookout for those as well! We highly recommend them! No matter how you choose to learn the layout, getting a lay of the land on your first day will make your cruise experience much more pleasant. Check out our Disney Cruise Guides for each ship, for deck maps, and what you can find on each floor.

Download the Disney Cruise Line Navigator App

The Disney Cruise Line Navigator App will be your go to for all things Disney Cruise Line while on your cruise. Before your cruise you can book excursions, adult only dining and do your online check in through the app. Once onboard, you can connect to the cruise ship’s WiFi, turn your phone in airplane mode and access everything the app has to offer. The Disney Cruise Navigator App includes activity schedules, your dining rotation, the cruise itinerary, character meeting times, opportunities to book onboard fun and more.

Know what’s included on your first Disney Cruise

Disney Cruises can be pricey, but for the most part they are somewhat all includive. As such we have shared what is included in your Disney Cruise to help you get a good idea of all the things you are paying for. However, there are some things that will still cost you extra. As such, we also have entire post dedicated to what’s not included on your Disney Cruise. Everything from specialty coffee to nursery services are extra and should be planned for.

Get to know your Waitstaff and Stateroom host

During your cruise, you will be waited on by the same team of cast members. Get to know them! They are the friendliest people and know all the Disney Insider Tips! Your stateroom host will care for and clean your room. And your waitstaff will serve you dinner in each night in the main dining rooms. Take the time to chat, check in and ask for recommendations. Whether you’re headed to port or heading to dinner, they will have their favorite things to share, do and try! It will make your Disney Cruise experience that much better. They are always willing to help!

Book your Disney Cruise through a Travel Planner

Booking through a travel agent is one of the easiest ways to make the trip planning process go smoothly. They can help you choose an itinerary, choose a stateroom, help you prepare for your trip, offer tips and suggestions and best of all, travel agents are free to use! They will also monitor the price of your cruise so that you get the best deal possible.

And many travel agents offer extra perks like onboard credit.  There’s really not a lot of reason not to use a travel agent, even if you’re someone who prefers to do most of the planning yourself. You’re paying for a travel agent with your cruise fare whether or not you actually use one. So you might as well take advantage of their services. 

We hope these Disney Cruise tips have been helpful. And have helped you get excited about your next adventure with Disney Cruise Line. Have a magical cruise and Bon Voyage!